Tere Ishq Nachaya | Bulleh Shah | Zeeshan Ali

#TereIshqNachaya #BullehShah # #SufiKalam #Qawwali #waheguru #sikhteachings #gurunanak #spiritualjourney #punjabiculture Zeeshan Ali grasps the hearts of the audience as he presents the famous poem ‘Tere Ishq Nachaya’, accompanied by Momin Khan, Patri Kumar, Surdarshan Chana, Giridhar Udupa, and Gurdain Rayatt. Ali’s voice is vulnerable and sincere, acting as a storyteller for an unorthodox stance of Divine love and encouraging intimate communication between the musicians and the audience. This poem was written by Bulleh Shah (1680-1757), who is often acclaimed for his poems that reflect the ‘middle ground’ of religion; straying from certain traditional and cultural norms of the time, whilst still remaining devoted to God, having compassion and kindness in the heart and a significant humility as a human being. This Sufi kalam is unique due to its exploration of more uncommon themes. The narrator is ‘dancing like mad’- not in a traditional, joyful way, but because the love he has for God has sent him into a frenzy of madness. The poem is an insight to an unconventional view of Guru Nanak’s message of devotion to God; the narrator expresses how he wishes the ‘Angel of Death’ would come and take his soul because the pain to be away from his creator is too much to bear. TRANSLATION: Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa Your love has made me dance like mad   *Tere Ishq ne dera mere andar keeta   Bhar ke zeher payala main taan aape peeta,   Jhabde wahudi tabiba nahin te main mar gaiyaan   Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa*   Falling in love with you   Was like taking a sip of poison   Come my healer, forsaken, I am sad  Your love has made me dance like mad    *Chupp giyah ve suraj bahar reh gayi laali   Ve main sadqey hova, Devein murrjey wikhali   Peera main bhul gaiyaan tere naal na gaiyaan   Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa*   The sun has set, its flush only is left   I’ll give my life for a glimpse of you   My fault I came not when you bade   Your love has made me dance like mad   *Ais Ishq de kolon mainu hatak na maaye   Laahu jaandre berrey kehrramorlaya   Meri aqal jun bhulli naal mhaniyaan dey gaiyaan   Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa*   Dissuade me not from the path of love   Who can hold the boats on the move?   Stupid, I joined the boatman’s squad   Your love has made me dance like mad   *Ais Ishq Di Jhangi Wich Mor Bulenda   Sanu Qibla Ton Qaaba Sohna Yaar Disenda   Saanu Ghayal Karke Pher Khabar Na Laaiyaan   Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa*   A peacock calls in the grove of passion   It’s Qibla, It’s Kaaba where lives my love   You asked not once after you stabbed   Your love has made me dance like mad   About the Project   Performance Date: 6 April 2025   Venue: Barbican Centre, London   This project explored how Guru Nanak’s timeless message of equality, compassion and spiritual awakening continues to resonate. Music was central to his mission—he travelled with Bhai Mardana, a Muslim rababi, using song to share spiritual wisdom beyond caste and creed. Darbar honoured this tradition by bringing musicians of diverse faiths onto one stage, spreading unity and peace.     Credits: -  Musicians  Aruna Sairam (carnatic vocals)  Zeeshan Ali (sufi vocals)  Bhai Anantvir Singh (kirtania)  Amrita Kaur (kirtania)  Momin Khan (sarangi)  Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam)  Giridhar Udupa (ghatam)  Surdarshan Chana  (tabla & jori)  Gurdain Rayatt (tabla)  Beibei Wang (da ga drum)    Darbar Team:   Sandeep Virdee OBE (Artistic Director)  Simrat Lall (Darbar Festival Manager)  María Guardiola (Festivals and Events Manager)  Depesh Patel (Events Manager)  Jamie Craven (Head of Design)  Rahul Ravindran (Creative Video Editor)  Sana Ejaz (Marketing Executive)  Zahabiya Patharia (Marketing Executive)  Christoph Bracher (Head of Sound)    Filming Crew  Pritpal Sagoo (Digital Consultant)  Gurwinder Soor (Content Creator and Platform Manager)  Tom Grancia (Technical Production)  Carl Owen (Camera Operator)  Chris Connel (Camera Operator)  Anup Parmar (Camera Operator)  Nick Morchang (Camera Operator)    Technical Team  Phil Jones (Front of House Sound)  John Duckett (Sound Monitors)  Mark Gardner (Lighting Designer)  ________________________________________________________________   Darbar believes in the power of Indian classical arts to stir and inspire. Since 2006, we have delivered live events, education, broadcasts and digital experiences, while supporting new talent from India and the UK.  © 2025 Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust. All Rights Reserved.